“EASILY EAR-DIGESTED” AND “A LITTLE WONKY”: AN INTERVIEW WITH ASHE

CREDIT: Dana Trippe

BY CHARISSA CHE

If you don’t know Ashe by name, you may at least recognize her crackly vocals in the tropical Louis the Child track, “Right to It.” She’s also been billed alongside The Chainsmokers. Now, the 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Northern California is ready to strike out on her own, with her first batch of singles released and a debut album in the pipeline. SLC audiences can check her out Tuesday, November 28 at the Complex, headlining for Louis the Child. Co-openers Louis Futon will round up the roster.

I spoke to Ashe while she was on the road about touring, early influences, and what fans old and new can expect from her forthcoming music.

CHARISSA CHE: How has the tour been going so far? Any highlights?

ASHE: Tour has been phenomenal, I just wrapped my first run with them and getting excited to do it all over again with Louis The Child. I think it’s made the experience more special because it feels like I’m touring with my family. Highlight so far has been meeting fans – I got to sign a couple arms which was awesome.

CC: Tell me about your collaboration with Louis the Child. How did that come about?

ASHE: I met them in Chicago almost 2 years ago now just when their song ‘It’s Strange’ was coming out and we all just fell in love. It felt inevitable that eventually we’d have a song together. World on Fire was the first and Right to It just landed.

CC: Why did you decide on “Used to It” as your first single?

ASHE: I felt like “Used to It” was a jump from “Can’t Hide,” but not too far of a departure from it that people could still really relate and understand my sound. But to be honest, I question myself all the time in which song I released first. It’s hard to fully know if you’re doing the right thing, you just kind of have to trust the process.

CC: I’d read that you grew up listening to Christian music alongside ‘60s rock. That’s an interesting blend. How did those early influences shape the music you write?

ASHE: Haha, yeah it was a bit of a mixed bag for sure. The Christian music got me involved in playing and singing in church from an early age and the ’60s rock kept me from not being a total stick in the mud. I wanna say I’ve rebelled a lot from the Christian music world, which maybe I wouldn’t have known to do had I not been so submerged in it. The ’60s music saved me.

CC: Super cool that you toured with the Chainsmokers. How was that experience?

ASHE: That was wild! Singing to an arena full of people was pretty breathtaking.

CC: I’ve heard your music described as everything from indie folk to alt-pop. The latter sounds a bit paradoxical; how would you describe the “alt-pop genre”?

ASHE: Oh god I don’t know… they’ll call me a million different things, I’m just trying to make music I love. I guess I’d call “alt-pop” just weirdass pop music – it’s still accessible and can be easily ear digested but is a little wonky and messed up. I think, at least hope, it makes people think a little more than the average “pop” song.

CC: What can we expect from your first album, in terms of its themes and sound?

ASHE: I can’t fully say and I know people are going to interpret the album a thousand different ways, but it’s going to be a trip down the rabbit hole for sure. You can expect a lot of me examining the human condition, my inner demons coming out to play and a lot of honesty.

Charissa Che :Charissa Che hails from NYC and has been a journalist for over 12 years. She is a regular music contributor for Salt Lake Magazine. Additionally, she is a PhD candidate in Writing & Rhetoric at the University of Utah. She prides herself on following the best cat accounts on Instagram. Calicos preferred.